Donna Takes the Doctor
by JunoInferno
Summary: Donna wants to take the Doctor on a trip and decides on the Cup Final for her favorite football team and the Doctor ends up meeting someone quite important.


Author's Notes: I do not own the Doctor, Donna, Doctor Who, West Ham, Preston North or the song Bubbles. This story was inspired by that one line in Planet of the Ood where the Doctor asks Donna where she learned to whistle and she says "West Ham, every Saturday." and also my own deep seated sports fan desire to have the Doctor take me to change the outcome of the 2008 NBA Western Conference Finals. I don't know much about football so please excuse my game descriptions. Besides, I don't think you're reading Doctor Donna fan fiction for the football. Anyway, please let me know what you think and enjoy!

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><p>Donna was starting to feel uncomfortable about her position on the TARDIS.<p>

She had been through the jealousy thing, travelled and met the Doctor's previous incarnations and a future one and had even managed to find the karaoke bar. Something was still bothering her, though. She finally hit upon what it was.

"Doctor," she said next to him in bed. God, he was cute while he was sleeping. Also, he was apparently dead to the world when he was sleeping. Donna snorted: he certainly liked to wake her up all the time, it was definitely time to return the favor. "Doctor," she said shaking him.

He woke up with a start. "What? What is it?"

Donna propped herself up on her elbow and stared at him. She saw him swallow.

"You, spaceman, I've got a question."

The Doctor waited. No telling where Donna's questions could lead.

"Why do you always get to pick where we go?," she asked.

"Sorry?"

"You're like a bloke who won't let his girlfriend drive. Why do you always get to decide where we go?"

"I don't always decide," he protested.

"You mean the times the TARDIS drags us somewhere just in time for a disaster? Okay, then, why do you always get to decide where you think we're going?"

"It's my TARDIS."

"You are a bloke who won't let his girlfriend drive!," she said accusingly.

"You're just learning, Donna."

"Yeah, but what you let me do is like practicing driving in a car park."

"Sorry, where's this headed?"

She moved closer to him. "Does anyone ever take you anywhere?"

"I've gotten requests. Rose-" He caught the look on Donna's face.

She rolled her eyes. "Finish what you were saying. I'm over that now."

"Are you?," he said brightly. "Well, that's something, isn't it?"

"Finish!," she insisted.

"Well, see, Rose's father died when she was a baby and he was alone and she said she just wanted to be there for him when he died."

"But?"

"How did you know there was a 'but'?"

"There's always a 'but' with you."

He smiled. "She saved him and caused a paradox and nearly ended all life on Earth."

Donna's smile disappeared and she narrowed her eyes at him. "Remind me what you saw in her?"

The Doctor tried to compose an answer and Donna smiled at him.

"Never mind. Saw her, I know exactly what you saw in her." She rubbed his chest affectionately.

"Donna..."

She didn't let him finish. "But that's something for her," she protested. "Doesn't anyone ever want to show you anything?"

He playfully grinned. "You've shown me plenty."

"Be serious. Doesn't anyone ever say 'Doctor, this is so amazing, I want to show it to you'?"

He thought back, through all of his lives. "Come to think of it, no."

"All your companions? No one ever wanted to show you anything?"

"No. That's just not been how it works, Donna. I show them the wonders of the universe."

"Yeah, but you don't get anything back."

"I get to see them anew through your eyes."

"Still selfish, though."

"You're not selfish, Donna."

"I am, though, I came aboard to hitchhike across the universe because I was sick of my life."

"But I wanted you to come."

Donna nodded, forced to agree, but still not convinced. She was a leech at worst, a kept woman at best.

"Do you want to show me something, Donna?," the Doctor asked carefully.

She paused. "I'd like to try. I don't know if I could come up with anything to impress you."

"I'm sure I'll love anything you want to show me," he said. "You pick our next destination then: anywhere, any when. How's that?"

"Yeah," said Donna.

"A few ground rules, though-"

Donna beat him to the punch. "No crossing my own personal time line, no crossing into established events, no going into my own future. Have I got it?"

"Well, those are the bullet points," said the Doctor, the wind taken out of his sails.

"Okay, then, Time Boy, I'm taking you on a trip."

* * *

><p>The Doctor woke up the next morning eager to see what Donna had planned. He waited a while in the console room, sitting anxiously on the jumpseat until Donna finally turned up. She was wearing a powder blue shift dress, a white jacket and was carrying a wide-brimmed white hat and handbag. She had on heels and hose, to the Doctor's surprise. She had forbidden dress up since the AthenaZeus Five incident.

She could see it in his face. "Yeah, well, I'm trying to blend in, not doing the girdle, though. Can't decide if that's worse than the corset. Sort of do like the whole Mad Men look, though."

"You look lovely."

She smiled. "Thanks. Oh, this is for you." Donna took something off her arm from under the hat. She handed it to the Doctor.

He unfolded it. "A football scarf? West Ham United?"

"Travel first, then I tell you why, okay?"

The Doctor nodded. "Fair enough. Where to?"

"May 2, 1964. Wembley Stadium, London, Earth, the Solar System, the Milky Way-"

"I had you at Wembley."

She smiled. "Just checking, Time Boy."

The TARDIS materialized just across the street from Wembley. The Doctor took Donna's arm and they walked out into a crowd of people.

"I haven't been here since the Olympics in forty eight," said the Doctor. "What's going on today? Is that what you've brought me for?"

"Well," said Donna, "I got to thinking we never discussed the really important issues in our relationship. Like football."

The Doctor shrugged. "I'm not much for football, I'm afraid. Cricket is more my sport."

Donna stopped walking. "You mean that other you wasn't just wearing the uniform? You can play cricket?"

"It's not a super power or anything, Donna."

"I just never pictured you playing anything," said Donna. "Anyway, my favorite football team is West Ham. My dad used to take me every Saturday. I did want to take you to the match where I nearly ended David Beckham's career, but that would have violated rule number one. I was in the TARDIS library doing research all night-"

"What did David Beckham ever do to you?," the Doctor asked incredulously.

Donna stopped walking and looked at the Doctor as if this was a stupid question. "He was playing for Manchester United!"

The Doctor nodded as if he understood. "Manchester United. Are they the ones who wear red?"

"They are the army of darkness, who are the incarnation of evil on Earth," Donna said decisively. "Them and Millwall. And possibly Tottenham."

"Where are we?," asked the Doctor wanting to change the subject.

"The FA Cup Final. West Ham is playing Preston. We beat Manchester United to get here and they were the cup holders."

"So, that's good?"

"Very," smiled Donna. "Have I finally found a subject you don't know everything about?"

"I know about football. Isn't it the one with the sticks?"

"No, no sticks."

"Alright, you're in charge, then."

"Donna, human, in charge?," she said mockingly.

"Until further notice."

"I'll take the psychic paper then," she said holding her hand out.

The Doctor reached into his breast pocket and handed it over, following Donna curiously to the box office.

She flashed the psychic paper to the clerk. "Hello. Doctor and Mrs. Noble."

The Doctor tried to hide his shock.

"I believe our tickets are waiting for us."

"I can't seem to find your name on the list, ma'am," he said.

"It would be a shame if I had to ring your boss," said Donna.

The clerk looked back again. "Oh, here we are. Doctor and Mrs. Noble. Enjoy the match."

"Thank you," said Donna taking the envelope. She opened it. "Ooh! Good seats! You must be doing very well, Doctor Noble."

Donna handed him back the psychic paper. "You just said we were married," the Doctor sputtered out.

Donna stiffened. "So? It's humiliating enough being single and thirty eight in two thousand and eight, I don't want to be thirty eight and single in nineteen sixty-four."

"No, yeah, of course."

"Come on," said Donna. "Allons-y."

She took his hand and pulled the Doctor along and into the stadium. It was full of people. Some groups had already started chanting and singing their team songs.

"Ooh!," said Donna, spotting a stall full of souvenirs. She dragged the Doctor over and started handing him things: a program, two West Ham rosettes and a novelty hammer. She paid the vendor and turned back to the Doctor and put one of the rosettes on him.

"I already have the scarf," said the Doctor.

"It's a cup final," said Donna. "Here. Would you get mine?"

The Doctor balanced the hammer and the program under his arm and pinned the rosette on Donna.

"Uh, what's with the hammer?," asked Donna.

"That's us," said Donna. "The club started as a team out of the Thames Ironworks, Hammersmith-"

"Hammers," finished the Doctor. "I was just hoping I wouldn't have to hit someone with it."

"Well, the day is young," said Donna.

Donna and the Doctor found their seats and they settled in for the match. The teams took the pitch and the national anthem. After what seemed like an eternity to the Doctor, the match began.

It was only ten minutes or so before the opposing side, Preston, scored a goal and Donna screamed.

"Are you kidding me?," shouted Donna.

"What?," asked the Doctor.

"Didn't you see that? He was offside!"

The Doctor narrowed his gaze at Donna. Before he could question her perception of offside, things started turning for West Ham. The team quickly scored a goal and cheers erupted on the West Ham side. The Doctor tried to get in the spirit of the thing as the supporters began to sing the team song.

Then West Ham had another setback as it appeared Preston were getting ahead and they narrowly blocked two shots from them. The Doctor watched in amusement as Donna seemed to get more and more frustrated. Then Preston scored another goal and it was half time.

Donna flopped down in her seat, extremely frustrated.

"Did you see that?," spat Donna.

"Yeah," said the Doctor, taking his seat next to her.

"So, what do you think so far?," asked Donna.

The Doctor looked around at the cheering tens of thousands. "It's interesting, I'll grant you that."

"You're not having a good time," said Donna.

"No," said the Doctor, "this is fun. Really. Would you like something to drink?"

"I'll go with you," said Donna.

"No, you stay here."

The Doctor went down to the refreshment stands and got in queue. He was standing when he noticed the woman in front of him was crying.

"Sorry. Are you alright?," he asked.

The woman turned around to face him and burst into more tears.

"Is there anything I can do to help?," asked the Doctor. The woman was blonde and had brown eyes. There was something very familiar about her. "I'm good at helping."

"Nothing. No one can help. It's hopeless!"

"Oh, I'm sure it's not," said the Doctor.

"It's my boyfriend. We've been dating months and he drags me here and he's ignored me all afternoon!"

"Just the match, I suppose. I'm here with my... friend and she's been very engaged in it."

"I've been waiting ages for him to ask me to marry him! And nothing!"

The Doctor shrugged. "Perhaps he's just waiting for the right moment or he's afraid you'll say no. I know I've had trouble in that area..."

"What do you mean?"

"Just the woman I'm with," said the Doctor, "she's difficult to reach at times."

"Have you asked her?"

"Well, not as such..."

"Why don't you just ask her? What sort of girl would turn down a proposal?"

"She's not any sort of girl," said the Doctor. "Look, your boyfriend brought you here because it's important to him. He wanted you to experience it with him because you're important to him."

"What?"

"Yeah, same reason I'm here," said the Doctor. The thought warmed his hearts.

She seemed consoled by that as well. She looked at the scarf the Donna had given him. "My boyfriend has a scarf like that."

The Doctor looked at it. "Must be tons of scarves like these."

The Doctor paid for the young woman's drinks and took the drinks back to Donna.

"Ginger beer," said Donna, smiling as she took heer first sip, "have you been poisoned?"

"I'll be sure to let you know," said the Doctor.

"Oh, I bet you will!," Donna laughed.

The Doctor tried to throw himself into the game as West Ham quickly turned the match around. West Ham scored another goal, but their players started looking exhausted.

"Come on, you Hammers!," shouted Donna. She then managed to start a cheer of "United, United, United!' that quickly consumed the stadium. No wonder David Beckham had been thrown off his game.

The game stayed tied forever it seemed and they were already past the ninetieth minute of play when West Ham scored another goal. The Doctor watched in amusement as Donna screamed about Preston getting a shot at a free kick, but it was blocked to the cheering and elation of the West Ham supporters. They started singing the club song "Bubbles" which the Doctor thought was sort of an odd choice for a football team, but Donna didn't seem to agree with him.

It was official, West Ham had won the cup. The supporters sand and cheered and the Doctor muddled through. There was the raising of the cup and the Doctor thought they would be going back to the TARDIS, but Donna started dragging him along.

"What exactly are we doing now?," asked the Doctor.

"Well, they'll be taking the cup back to the East End!," exclaimed Donna. "Don't you want to see that?"

"Of course."

They followed the throng from Wembley all the way back to Upton Park. The team rode in an open top bus, their supporters following along and being joined by the already waiting fans in the East End.

Donna eventually led the Doctor into a pub where they got fish and chips and more ginger beers.

"Have you always liked football?," asked the Doctor.

Donna nodded. "My dad took me to matches when I was little. My mum never went, she hates football, she despaired for me, said I would never find a husband. She might have been right on that."

"Maybe not," said the Doctor under his breath.

"What?," asked Donna. "I can't hear you over the singing."

"Nothing," said the Doctor quickly.

Donna stood up and gave the Doctor a kiss. She had done that since the lifting of the cup, the Doctor thought it might be a pretty good reason to like football.

"I'm going to the ladies, be right back," said Donna.

The Doctor watched Donna leave. This was getting horrible, how was he ever going to ask her?

The Doctor turned. It was the young woman from earlier and she seemed much happier.

"Hello!," said the Doctor. "Is your boyfriend here?"

The woman squinted at him. "Oh, it's you!" She held out her left hand, now adorned with a simple diamond ring. "My fiance! He asked me when West Ham won the cup! Can you believe that?"

"Congratulations."

"He's right over there," she said, motioning at a man in glasses, joining in yet another rendition of "Bubbles." Their scarves were similar. Actually, they were exactly the same. The young woman was beaming. "You had better look out for my wedding announcement. You're invited, by the way. The Mott Noble wedding."

"The what?," exclaimed the Doctor.

"Well, that's my name. I'm Sylvia Mott. That's my fiance, Geoffrey Noble."

The Doctor's jaw dropped. That was what looked so familiar about the woman, he couldn't believe it. This was the only time Sylvia Noble had ever seemed so pleasant. She excused herself just as Donna came out of the toilet.

"We have to go," announced the Doctor.

The Doctor and Donna walked arm in arm back to the TARDIS, still parked outside the abandoned Wembley, programs and paper littering the street.

"So, did you have a good time?," asked Donna, taking off her heels the instant they stepped inside the TARDIS.

"I did," said the Doctor. "Thank you."

"I was starting to think you weren't having any fun at all," said Donna.

"No, it was brilliant. You were right, no one's ever tried to show me anything like that before. Thank you." He kissed her and took off the scarf and handed it to her.

"You don't want it?," she asked. She looked at it in disappointment.

"It belonged to your dad," said the Doctor.

"Yeah. How did you guess?"

"I saw one like it at the match," he said. "So, why did your mum hate football?"

"Honestly?," asked Donna. "She's nearsighted, couldn't see the pitch. Couldn't see much of anything."

"She didn't wear specs?," asked the Doctor.

Donna shook her head. "Thought she'd never land a husband with specs. Too embarrassed. Thank God for contact lenses or she'd never recognize anyone. Don't mention it to her, she'd be mortified."

The Doctor smiled.

"Tell you what," said Donna, "you hang on to the scarf for me. I've got your Scallofrax, seems fair."

"Okay then," said the Doctor.

Donna smiled. "You seem like you want to say something."

"No, just thank you," said the Doctor. "And anytime you want to take me somewhere, just say the word."

She kissed him again. "Well, thank you, spaceman. I'm gonna go change. Meet you in the library?"

"See you there."

Donna left smiling. The TARDIS hummed petulantly at the Doctor.

"Yes, I know! Don't you think I know that? Suppose you think you're clever, don't you? Nice how you go to the right place when she asks."

The TARDIS hummed again. The Doctor sighed.

"I'll ask her soon!," he promised as he set the ship into the Vortex.


End file.
